Jerry,
I am sorry you feel I am merely "muddying the waters", I am trying to understand these meters myself, and in the process I often confuse myself.
Let's focus on the de la Mare poem.
Carol, I agree with your reading of this as consistent accentual trimeter:
'Is there ANYbody THERE?' said the TRAVeller,
KNOCKing on the MOONlit DOOR;
And his HORSE in the SILence champed the GRASSes
Of the FORest's FERny FLOOR:
And a BIRD flew up OUT of the TURRet,
AbOVE the TRAVeller's HEAD
And he SMOTE upon the DOOR again a SECond time;
'Is there ANYbody THERE?' he SAID.
I think it has a charming swing to it.
Jerry, how does this one sit for you?
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Mark Allinson
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